West Side Story - Cheap Thoughts

How does he do it? How does Spielberg make it look this easy? It’s hard to say West Side Story is doing much new - after all it is an adaptation of a 1961 movie based on a 1957 stage show based on a 16^th century play – And yet, somehow it feels like we now have the perfected version of that story, future versions can rest before they try, they’ll never make a version this visually beautiful, perfectly cast or tonally impeccable. It’s times like this where the obvious flaw of trying to discuss a visual medium via text is totally inept, as just saying every single frame is truly a painting is not something that can be easily backed up, you just have to take in on faith, but it’s true, this might be the best looking film of the year, each shot made to look as beautiful as can be, exploding with colour, depth and movement.

None of this is to say the original film was lacking in this, but it is hard to compliment this film without slightly feeling like a back-handed compliment to the original, so consider this review a glowing recommendation for both films, they’re great. Though that being said (Here we go) there are some areas of the original that had clear room for improvement, the main one being a predominately white cast in a film about the racial tensions between a white gang and a Puerto Rican gang, anyone who argues that’s not an issue with the original is being intentionally ignorant. Secondly is the tone the films strive for, it’s not an easy balance to hit, trying to be a story about violent gangs who metaphorically express themselves through ballet, it can come across as silly, and while your mileage may vary on the original, don’t be surprised if some find it tonally confused, this one strikes a much finer balance between the two. It never feels jarring when it goes from bloody assault in poverty drenched streets to colourful dance numbers is seamless, again, it’s baffling how easy Spielberg makes it happen.

Aside from that there’s not that much more to discuss, most of what was good in the original is still present here, the songs are wonderfully varied, catchy and poignant. The story is layered and one of social injustice, dealing with racial discrimination as well as the abandonment of the disenfranchised with two sides of victims being manipulated into viewing each other as the enemy rather than the system as a whole. It even carries over the same flaws of the original, though to be fair it’s more of a burden from the original Romeo & Juliet than it is the musical, that being the big climactic fight happens and then you realise there’s still 30-40 minutes left of the film and that third act can drag in contrast.

If there’s still some ambiguity from this review on whether or not you should see this film? Once more to make it clear: Go see this film!

-Danny